“The Lord is my light and my salvation—
whom shall I fear?
The Lord is the stronghold of my life—
of whom shall I be afraid?”
Psalm 27:1
Lord, I Need You by Matt Maher
“So do not fear, for I am with you;
do not be dismayed, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you and help you;
I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”
Isaiah 41:10
(This photo was taken in May of 2020 at the High Falls in Tettegouche State Park in northern Minnesota)
“When you pass through the waters,
I will be with you;
and when you pass through the rivers,
they will not sweep over you.
When you walk through the fire,
you will not be burned;
the flames will not set you ablaze.”
Isaiah 43:2
But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.
2 Corinthians 12:9
(This photo was taken in June of 2013 at Falls Park in Sioux Falls, South Dakota)
“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who[a] have been called according to his purpose.”
Romans 8:28
“Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. 13 Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. 14 And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.”
Colossians 3:12-14
(This photo was taken in August of 2016 in Glacier National Park in Montana)
“Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go. 8 Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful.”
Joshua 1:7-8
“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”
Joshua 1:9
(This photo was taken in June of 2013 near Pike’s Peak in southern Colorado)
“Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! 5 Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. 6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”
Philippians 4:4-7
“The Lord is near to all who call on him,
to all who call on him in truth.”
Psalm 145:18
(This photo was taken in December of 2013 on a walk in northwestern Wisconsin)
“He has shown you, O mortal, what is good.
And what does the Lord require of you?
To act justly and to love mercy
and to walk humbly[a] with your God.”
Micah 6:8
“This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. 6 If we claim to have fellowship with him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live out the truth. 7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all[a] sin.
8 If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word is not in us.”
1 John 1:5-10
(This photo was taken in July of 2018 at a park near Bayfield, Wisconsin)
“Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.”
John 15:4
“I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. 6 If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. 7 If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. 8 This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.”
John 15:5-8
(This photo was taken in February of 2013 in a neighborhood near Plymouth, Minnesota)
Evey person you encounter everyday is fighting a battle you know nothing about…we all have burdens of some kind. We are not here to judge whether one persons burden is greater than another…in love we are to strive to help others carry their burdens as much as we need someone to help us carry our own. We should strive to ask the question…”how can I help?” more often than “why isn’t someone helping me?” Jesus set the example for us and we would do well to follow Him. Amen.
“Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, 2 then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind. 3 Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, 4 not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.”
Philippians 2:1-4
(This photo was taken in March of 2018 at White Sands National Park in New Mexico)
When you are comforted and have courage…when all your worries, doubts and fears have subsided…when you have a sense of peace and calm that is beyond understanding and the Fruits of the Spirit flow through you effortlessly…that is when you know you are covered by the Spirit of God. Amen.
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.”
Galatians 5:22-23
(This photo was taken in October of 2018 at a lake near Plymouth, Minnesota)
When we are in step with God and His plan we will not feel weary, we will not feel weak. Weariness is a warning sign that something we are doing or are spending time on is not part of God’s will for us. When we are walking with Him there is no weariness or exhausted feelings as He provides energy and strength that we never knew existed. Take time to assess where and how you are spending your time and pray to God to guide you to His will. Amen.
“Do you not know?
Have you not heard?
The Lord is the everlasting God,
the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He will not grow tired or weary,
and his understanding no one can fathom.
29 He gives strength to the weary
and increases the power of the weak.
30 Even youths grow tired and weary,
and young men stumble and fall;
31 but those who hope in the Lord
will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles;
they will run and not grow weary,
they will walk and not be faint.”
Isaiah 40:28-31
“For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”
Ephesians 2:10
(This photo was taken in March of 2018 while traveling in southern New Mexico)
Take Your Faith With You 